The use of computers and/or computing systems to generate textual documents has become an established practice in today's Computer Age. Through the use of a computer, such as a personal computer, and a keyboard (e.g., one having the “QWERTY” key configuration), it is now possible for users to type and create documents of many different types and formats.
Various word-processing programs also provide a certain amount of visual feedback, through a user interface, to provide the user with visual cues as to the effects of the user's actions. For example, in generating an electronic document using the “MICROSOFT WORD” program, which is a word-processing product offered by Microsoft Corporation, many visual cues are provided. One such visual cue is generated when the user selects a portion of a textual document for editing. In typical prior art word processing systems, the user selects a portion of text (for editing, deleting, copying, etc.) by positioning a cursor at one end of the desired selection range of text, and clicking and dragging the cursor to a second selection point, thereby selecting the text in between the selection points. Alternatively, the user may use combinations of keypresses on a keyboard (such as holding a Shift key while pressing an arrow key). These methods of selecting text are cumbersome, and often lead to inaccurate selections. For example, a user might inadvertently place the cursor at an incorrect location (e.g., one space too far) in initially placing the cursor. Upon realizing the mistake, the user cannot edit this initial location, but must rather restart the selection process.
One prior art approach to easing this cumbersome process is found in the “WINDOWS” operating system, offered by Microsoft Corporation. In the WINDOWS system, a user may use a mouse to position a cursor over a word, and press a mouse key (e.g., “clicking”) twice to select the entire word. The user may also press the key three times in succession to, for example, select an entire paragraph. While these alternatives are helpful when the user wishes to select a single word, sentence, or an entire paragraph, they are not sufficient to address the full range of selection possibilities. For example, a user might want to select multiple words, multiple paragraphs, or portions of one or more sentences or paragraphs. The successive clicking technique is insufficient to meet these needs. Furthermore, using the successive clicking technique, a user might depress his or her mouse button hundreds, or even thousands, of times a day. This places an undesirable amount of stress on the user's hands and body.
Accordingly, there is presently a need for an improved computer system and process by which users may quickly and efficiently make and/or adjust desired selections of portions of electronic documents.